The Bucket List

January 13th 2011
TD Garden
GAME: Second Period

Tyler Seguin’s P.O.V.

It was second period and coach had me on a line with Lucic and Bergeron to see how I did today against the Penguins. I knew it was a test, so I focused, and played the game well so far.
It was the beginning of the second period when my focus began to waver.

“She is good da?” Evgeni Malkin asked me as we lined up for a face off.

“Who?” I asked, the puck had been dropped and I skated out to receive a breakout pass from Chara. The puck landed on my tape and I sprinted down the ice, looking over to see Milan tapping his stick in the front of the net. I shot the puck over to him, which he one timed into Fleury’s pads. Letang covered Lucic while Fleury covered it up. The ref blew the whistle, and I stopped moving toward the net. Milan pushed Letang a couple of times, before the refs broke it up. Evgeni tapped my leg with his stick.

“The trainer. The girl da?” Evgeni said wiggling his eyebrows. I laughed, shaking my head and skating with Evgeni to the hash marks.

“A good friend. She trains the older dudes. Rooms with Lucic and Horton.” I said, lining up for the face off.

“Friends, only.” Evgeni asked, sticking his stick underneath mine.

“Yeah.” I slid my stick under his. He just tapped my stick and didn’t say a word.

Later on in that same period when there was only half way through the period, Lucic began to yell at Malkin.

“I don’t do shit. Stupid Russian.” Milan muttered, scratching his after shadow on his chin. Evgeni launched himself at him, fist flying and squarely; hitting Milan in the nose.

“Funking bastard!” I heard Lucic yell before getting him back. The crowded roared behind us, and I felt myself get pushed away from the action and into the boards. Looking down I saw Sidney Crosby holding my jersey in his hands. His eyes widened when he saw the anger on my face.

“Hey, I don’t want to fight. I’m just trying to get you out of the situation before Letang or someone else takes your number.” Sidney said, hold his hands up in a surrender way.
I wanted to scream in his face, demanding what was going on. I wanted to rub my eyes and imagine this was all a dream, and I wasn’t play hockey against the “next one” and him telling me to cut the shit as well.

Instead I poked his chest and said, “I didn’t do shit, and I have no fucking idea why you freaky birds have decided I’m a nice person to talk to, but I’m not. So back, the fuck, away…” I hissed. Sidney’s eyes got wider if that was even possible, but then Pascal Dupui came over and pushed me against the boards.

“Don’t touch him.” Number nine growled. I shook my head and laughed in his face.

“You captain came over to ME and decided to tell me that everyone was picking my number! Well for your information, I didn’t do shit to your team so you better fucking beat it away from my personal space before I punch you like Lucic just did to Evgeni.” I said, pushing away from him. The fight was practically over and I wanted a word with Lucic before he disappeared in the penalty box for 5 minutes. I helped the refs and calmed him down to tell me what’s going on.

“It’s something to do with Emily. That’s all I know. Now if you don’t mind.” He opened the box’s door and stepped inside.

“What the hell is going on here? It’s like a fucking shitshow watching Evgeni Malkin. I have no idea what he said to you but you are telling us right now during this time out.” Chara said, all captain like and moved me towards the bench.

I explained what I knew to the captain and the rest of the team, before moving out of the way. Brad Marshand immediately decided that he would take the matter into his own hands, pissed at the way Emily kept getting brought into this. I looked at Tim when he said this and rolled my eyes.

Everyone knew he had the hots for her.

“What the fuck is going on between you and my cousin?” I heard a female voice say.
There she was, Emily. She was dressed in her bruin’s sweat suit and a pass explaining she was our personal trainer. However she looked horrendous. She had pen marks on her face and her hair pulled into a huge messy bun at the top of her head.

“Who is you cousin?” Couach Julian asked, snapping some of us out of our trance.

“Evgeni, and if you don’t mind, after I’m done talking to these bozos I’m heading over to the birds to talk some sense into them.” Emily said, sliding to the front of the bench and leaned over. “You are all fuckin idiots. My cousin loves to play with men in my life. He finds some strange humor in it. To top it all off, he doesn’t agree with my choices in schools and majors. This is just his way of scaring you shitless now, before he goes back to Pittsburgh. So get you head out of your fucking ass and just play some hockey!”

We all nodded and the ref blew the whistle signaling the game was starting back up. With the line change I hopped back onto the bench but Emily caught my arm and pulled me to the entrance to the tunnel.

“The only reason I’m here is because Evgeni has your number. I don’t know why but he does. And if you don’t want to get crushed by him, I suggest you ignore him, and when he asks about me; which I already know that’s what he was doing so don’t pull any fast ones on me, just say I’m a respected worker here. Got it?” She said, twinkle in her eye.

I nodded obediently, and she smiled giving me a light punch to the shoulder pad before marching down into the tunnel. I smiled too, and then sat next to Bergy.

“I don’t want to know what she said to you.” He said quietly. I laughed before shouldering him, and watching the penalty kill unfurl.
* * * * * * * *

Emily’s P.O.V.

“Пошли вы!” I shouted, seeing Evgeni come out of the tunnel. Lucic did a number on his face, and was obviously going to get stitches. Blood was trickling down is forehead, but he still had a goofy grin on his face. He opened his arms for me, but I waved it off. (Translation: Fuck you)

“я был хорош в бою!” Evgeni cried to me, grin widening and tugged me into a hug anyways when I was in arm reach. (Translation: I was good in the fight!)

“Evgeni, when are you going to realize I have a good life here and you don’t need to scare all the men in my life? Its kind of my job to scare them.” I joked, hip checking him. Really it was my hip knocking into his midthigh, but he returned it anyways.

“I know, but is fun to be mean and scary.” Evgeni wrapped his arm around me, and I leaned into him. We began to walk to the doc’s office, so Evgeni could be stitched up.

“He got you good you know.” I grinned, remember live streaming the game from my iPhone and seeing the nasty hit Lucic gave my cousin.

“He stood up for cousin. Is good guy.” Evgeni said grudgingly.

“Yes he is.” I said. Evgeni just grumbled in Russian; quick and low enough that I didn’t catch everything.

“My final is in two days for my nutrition class, then I drop that, and pick up culinary arts.” I said. Evgeni just nodded.

“Babushka is happy. Moved in my house with Oskana.” Evgeni offered. I gave him a squeeze before he walked in the doc’s office to get fixed up. He looked at me.

“I will talk to you after okay? And no beating up my clients okay?” he nodded and I squeezed his arm before walking down the hallway.

The buzzer rang, causing my heart to jump, and y legs to move faster before running towards the visitors bench.